


Is It Going to Be All Right? It's Going to Be All Right.

by PorcupineGirl



Category: Supernatural
Genre: But it's there, Castiel's mind bunker, Episode Tag, M/M, Mind Control, POV Castiel, Post-Episode: s11e18, Season/Series 11, give castiel his agency back 2k16, the destiel isn't strong
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-07
Updated: 2016-04-07
Packaged: 2018-05-31 22:08:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6489250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PorcupineGirl/pseuds/PorcupineGirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Castiel is happy here, in his kitchen, with his television.</p>
<p>He's not sure why he ever wanted to be anywhere else.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Is It Going to Be All Right? It's Going to Be All Right.

**Author's Note:**

> Sometimes an episode coda just sneaks up and _demands_ to be written before I can do anything else.
> 
> Sorry it's not a Vodka Aunt Amara AU.

It was like a prison, at first.

He barely remembers it feeling like that.

Now, it's not that. It's… soothing.

Now that Lucifer has helped him mold his space into something safe.

Now that Lucifer has given him a form of endless entertainment.

Now that Lucifer isn't a jailer anymore.

Now that he's the older brother he should have been from the start.

Castiel has vague memories of right after he let Lucifer in, but when he tries to think too hard about them they slip away. If he tries to conjure them here, exist in them, they flicker away, back into the bunker's kitchen.

He wasn't very happy with Lucifer at first, he remembers that.

He knew when he said yes that Lucifer was their only chance at saving creation. Certainly a much better chance than _he_ would ever be. Providing a vessel was by far the most useful thing he could have done.

But once Lucifer was in, Castiel had wanted more control. He had wanted to stay alert, monitoring everything Lucifer did, judging him for what had seemed at the time to be malicious acts of murder.

He knows better now, of course. He understands that whatever it was that Lucifer had been doing (he's hazy on the details, but it couldn't have been too bad), he was doing it for the greater good.

The turning point, of course, had come when Lucifer attacked the Winchesters. Castiel couldn't allow that, it was the one thing he would have _expelled_ Lucifer for if he'd had to.

After that, things got much better.

Lucifer swore he'd never try to harm the Winchesters again. He built this nice, safe place for Castiel. He gave Castiel a television so that he doesn't have to worry about watching what Lucifer is doing.

Lucifer is trying to destroy the darkness and save creation. Anything he does toward those ends is justified.

Anything but hurting the Winchesters, but he's promised he won't do that again.

So Castiel knows he doesn't have to worry.

It's nice, now. Lucifer checks on him regularly, makes sure he's happy, makes sure he's not worried about whatever is happening outside.

Yes, he's just sitting around watching television, but that's all he was doing before. At least now his body is doing something useful. Since _he_ would never be able to.

Lucifer says that Castiel might have a role in the final battle. Might—Castiel isn't so sure. He doubts he would be much help.

Lucifer will let him know, though, if for some reason he is needed.

Until then, he waits, and he watches television.

It's all he's good for, anyhow.

He doesn't know how long he stays in that kitchen before one day he blinks and he's not there.

He's in a ring of fire.

His eyes take a moment to focus, and when they do, they focus on—

_Dean_.

Castiel has a few seconds of clarity. Dean has pushed Lucifer down, is trying to talk to Castiel directly. Why didn't Castiel know that Lucifer was with the Winchesters again? Why wasn't he watching?

He realizes he has _no_ idea what Lucifer has been doing or who he's been with recently.

But before he can find out what Dean wants from him, he's pulled back by the shoulders, pressed down into his chair.

"Castiel." Lucifer takes him by the chin, looks directly into his eyes. Castiel feels calmer. "You're safe. You're home. You don't need to worry about what's happening out there."

"But Dean—"

"Dean is a big boy, he can take care of himself. But who can he not take care of by himself?"

Castiel blinks. "The darkness."

Lucifer grins. "That's right. That's what I'm here for, remember? Dean just wants to make sure you're happy in here, and you're happy, right?"

Lucifer pats the television, and Castiel's eyes wander back to it.

"Of course."

"Happier than you would be staring impotently out of this vessel, knowing you could never accomplish the things I'm accomplishing."

"Of course."

Lucifer leaves Castiel to his television show, but only a few seconds later he's joined by Crowley.

How did Crowley get here?

Does Dean really think he should expel Lucifer?

Huh. Interesting.

A vague memory tugs at Castiel's mind. One time something bad happened, and he'd considered expelling Lucifer. Why would he do that?

_Because Lucifer was going to kill the Winchesters_.

Oh.

Did Lucifer try to hurt them again?

Is that why Dean wants Castiel to expel him? To protect them?

But, no, Lucifer had promised not to do that.

Before he can get any further in puzzling this out, Lucifer comes in and he feels his mind blur back into the peace that comes with watching his television.

There's a fight.

They almost break the television.

That would be awful.

But then Crowley leaves.

Lucifer checks on him. He's fine, of course. Lucifer is fine, of course.

The Winchesters are fine, of course.

Of course.

He doesn't know how long it is before he gets another non-Lucifer visitor. With only the television to mark the passage of time, it's easy to lose track, and he's not sure time flows the same in here as it does out there, anyhow. There's never really been a reason for him to check.

The next visitor isn't Crowley.

It's Dean.

Castiel isn't in a ring of fire. Dean is _here_. In his kitchen.

Castiel blinks up at him.

"Pull up a seat," he says. "This is a good episode."

That's the one thing that would make this room better. Safer, warmer, more comfortable.

Dean.

Maybe Lucifer brought him in here because he knows that Dean is the one thing that would make Castiel happier.

Lucifer is a good big brother like that. Castiel smiles as he looks back to the television.

"No, Cas, what? Look man, I don't know what he's doing to you in here, but you gotta get Lucifer _out_ , okay? Cas?"

Dean passes a hand in front of Castiel's face, making him blink in annoyance.

"What the hell, Cas?"

Castiel sighs.

"I can't take control back from Lucifer until he destroys the darkness," he recites without moving his eyes from the screen. "Until then, this is the best place for me. I'm safe and happy and out of everyone's way."

Dean turns Castiel's face toward him. Looks him in the eye. Part of Castiel relishes it, but a larger part wishes he could turn back to the television.

"That's bullshit, Cas. Lucifer's already proven that he's no better a match for the darkness than any of us, and even if he hadn't, there's no way in hell _this_ is where you belong. You're not really safe or happy here, you just think you are."

Castiel frowns.

"Don't be ridiculous, Dean. Of course Lucifer has a better chance than we do, he's an _archangel_. And where else would I belong? I'm only in the way everywhere else."

Dean's eyes widen.

"Where else would you _belong_? Try with us, for starters! The three of us, we've always been enough, remember that? How would you be in the _way_ , Cas?" His tone becomes more frantic as Castiel's eyes drift back to the television. "No, Cas, you gotta fight this! He—he hypnotized you, or put a spell on you or some archangel shit, Cas. It's not true! You're not safe here, you're not happy doing nothing." Dean wrenches Castiel's face again until he's startled into looking away from the television. "And you are _never_ in the way if you are with me, do you understand that? Never."

Castiel feels… something. Some stirring in his chest. The vague sensation that yes, that's where he wants to be. With Dean.

But Dean is here.

Perfect.

He turns back to the television.

"He'll be back any second!" Dean growls.

There's a flurry of motion, and the television flies off the table.

"No!" Castiel reaches for it as it goes, lunging out of his seat, but then it hits a wall.

The screen shatters.

Dean kicks it.

Castiel flinches.

For just a second, he wants to wail. The television is the key to his happiness. Without it, he…

He squints at Dean.

"Dean? What are you doing here?"

His memories are foggy. How long has he been in this room? Why hasn't he been watching Lucifer?

He jumps when suddenly, Dean's arms are around him.

The warmth he feels has nothing to do with his body. He is incorporeal here.

He thinks it may be the first thing he's felt in months.

He raises his arms to hug Dean back. Hesitantly at first, but as Dean squeezes tighter, so does he.

Castiel has no idea what is going on, but he knows that this is the most real thing that's happened to him in a very long time.

"Get him out, Cas." Dean's voice is rough, and although neither of them truly has breath here, Castiel feels Dean's against his ear. "Lucifer sold us all a bill of goods, buddy. It's time to kick his ass back downstairs and get back out there with us where you belong."

They separate, and Cas looks up at Dean.

"He's coming," he says, and he has no idea how he knows, but he _knows_.

Dean disappears.

When Lucifer comes through the doorway, Castiel is ready.

**Author's Note:**

> Ok, now back to rewriting chapter 9 of Breath from scratch. *sigh*
> 
> [My tumblr.](http://porcupine-girl.tumblr.com)


End file.
